The Red Squares - Silent Hill Mythology
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- čas přidán 2. 07. 2019
- Believe it or not, there might be more to these red squares than we originally thought. Even if you don't agree with my ultimate conclusion, you WILL find out stuff about Silent Hill in this video that I'm pretty sure you never noticed before.
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#silenthill #konami - Hry
I'll admit I had no idea this much science was involved in a horror game that has pterodactyls.
Ghost Dino’s 😂
Pterodactyls. That's a first time ever hearing this word 😂😂😂
@@chrisclarke1965 Seeing?
The book does mention they were there due to Heather's books, but I completely get where you are coming from xD
Odd i saw them as dogs that skin and bone ripped and stretched to form his wings as Samael tries to force his way thru the weakend reality. Look at their rear legs and heads. All the monsters are things stuck in transition because the ritual you are unwitingly performing is only half way through.
One thing to add with the idea of introspection is that every time you hit a save, the character's face will show up as the background. They're literally looking into themselves
You're right Guts
@@anna44644 ;)
DAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang
How the hell did a 12 minute video about squares made me revaluate my life?
Because Jung
Synchronicity - A moth just flew infront of my screen as i typed that XD
Relativity, my friend.
Because it’s Silent Hill 2. Only my favorite video game of all time/ pieces of art. Also because this game (the second one in particular) delves in to Jungian Psychological concepts which are very, very, VERY deep. Also a favorite author of mine. Great stuff man.
Now that you mention that term "squaring the circle", the first time James looks at the red square, it is inside a water well, and this water well has the shape of a circle.
"Red Square" - a painting by Kazimir Malevich, painted in 1915. The name on the back is “Woman in Two Dimensions”. Also K. Malevich was a leader of art-cult centered on esthetical mysticism, so I think it could be great reference to analyze.
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-James Sunderlands consciousness, 2001
It sucks when they mainstream the pyramid head and the sexy nurses in the movies
Taking a look at your profile ...I think you need to square your circle girl.
@@spacenachos we can hold different beliefs and share interests! :)
@@lilvegan You genuinely seem like a really interesting person. 🙂
When you make a game so deep that even the shape and colour of the save points have deeper alchemical and philosophical meaning...
I wonder if Sigmund Freud would have liked playing Silent Hill...
Are you kidding, he would've had a field day
he would love silent hill 2
He'd probably predict the end by the halfway point.
He'd be fucked on cocaine throughout. Also Freud was a hack
Back when working on a horror game truly took serious skills rather rushed programming for fast sale & horrible reviews aftermath.
Pepperidge Farm Remembers
There is some hope... RE2 remake isnt perfect but its better than the last few games... And there is plenty of talent and ideas about... Just need the power and money to make one happen.
Evangeliman I agree but, let’s be honest here, RE2 is a remake. And the original was superb as well. Even hadn’t we had a remake, it was still way better than new horror themed games. The question is, will we witness the creativity we are expecting? Or we will be stuck with RE6 kinda horror games? Which sadly, even the evil within 2 had a touch in it of RE6.
Creativity and passion. Skill is secondary. Fun fact: Team Silent was formed by the underworking, less skilled employers on Konami at the time, which were given full creative freedom to do whatever they wanted as long as it was a survival game that could rival capcom's RE. All it took was creativity and will to make it happen.
I'd say it still does take all of that; it's why we ain't seeing very many good ones lately, because the easier choice is to make 'em cheap. It's a real shame people think jumpscares are all that modern horror is.
Previously I just assumed the red square was representing Carl Junge's "the red book" witch was in the movie " The Shinning" during the interview scene and at the time that book was not released due to Junge's familys request. The book is his accounts of staying awake for days, talking to his hallucinations and asking them what they represented. This has been very illuminating, I was going through a very angry and depressing moment and I saw this video and it really helped me see things clearer I didn't even notice it was a new video like one of the commenters mentioned.
WOAH. WHAT?! The Red Book was in that scene? You just blew my mind, dude. Thanks!
@@maxderrat It blew my mind when I was watching that movie, also when watched that video about how Carl Junge discovered and named the term Synchronicity based on an event he had with a patient. Your videos are incredible keep up the fascinating work.
@@maxderrat the bats coming out of Maria could be a way to punish James for killing his wife. they could also be a punishment for James letting Maria die in the long hallway. and about the monsters Laura might have seen them but ignored those things. or perhaps there were monsters when Laura was out in the town. and I wanted to see both Maria and Laura end up being together at the very end of that game. It seems each character has a special role in the story line. I don't believe Eddie and Laura were friends. but they enjoy each other's company somehow. not sure about Angela she is a bit of a mystery. and I have theory about the clues I think Alyssa had placed them for James to find them. Or the old watchers of the town left these clues for James. another mystery is fog that never seems to go away. it is always around won't ever leave.
One more way in which alchemy plays into Silent Hill, also from the first game, is the red(!) liquid Aglaophotis that Kaufmann throws at Alessa in order to expell Incubus. In SH3 Aglaophotis is no longer a red liquid but instead like a red-brownish pill and Heather swallows it which makes her vomit out the fetus of God. So in both games, an alchemical substance is not only crucial to the good ending, but also to expell demons.
Again in Silent Hill 1 there's talk of a drug called PTV which is said to be made from a plant called White Claudia, which was distributed by Kaufmann and IIRC Lisa Garland used it a lot as well.
I like when the internet man's talk about the spoopy stufffs
This type of content, the work, the research, the analysis you putin all of them plus your mental health videos is simply why you are the best. I think SH origins is a little bit of information about the red squares and the circle of the sun. Hope to see more of SH in the future :)
Sorry but the unintentional Putin killed me 😂
@@unslaadkrosis9435 I don't laugh out loud a lot but this got me tbh
It's worth noting that any references to alchemy in Silent Hill would be coming from an Eastern perspective. Eastern and Western alchemy are remarkably similar, but there were a few differences worth noting:
The red squares bear resemblance to cinnabar, which has more significance as an alchemical substance in Eastern alchemy and tended to be revered for its red color.
Alchemy as a practice of refining the mind and spirit was a Taoist tradition. Taoism emphasized the achievement of Wu Wei, action without action, or a passive realization of goals through acceptance of the things the way they are (it's much more complex than that but this is a CZcams comment.) So while alchemy as a journey in the West would be characterized by ambition, in the East it would be better characterized as acceptance, which is closer to what we see with Sunderland.
Not necessarily. Remember that they did aim for Silent Hill to be appealing to a western audience and did many things to make the game seem more "western."
I think its worth noting that Silent Hill's writing tries its best to embody something that would occur in the west, and draws influences mainly from western entertainment (like Jacob's Ladder) and the lore tries to draw from western concepts as much as possible. Theres still fair chance that eastern elements are incorporated, but the narrative purity of SH in 1 2 and 3 (and somewhat 4) meant that any elements they knowingly incorporated into the writing were westernized as much as humanly possible. Things that are secondary to the plot such as certain architectural decisions have a better chance of not being westernized, but because they weren't explicitly written. You did a great breakdown of comparisons between east and west though.
@@drippinwet774 It's also worth noting that that applies to your mind as well
I thought the red squares were references to Carl Jung's infamous red book, where he secretly described and drew his own hallucinations and dreams. James saves his progress through his own psyche when he interacts with the red book in much the same way that Jung saved his experiences in his psyche.
You almost had it during that first half. Red squares mean the 9 delusions that James encounters in SH2
Woah... it all seemingly makes sense now!! Awesome work!
Thanks, player! :D
The color red in alchemy could also be an allusion to the final stage of alchemical process 'rubedo' . It represent perfection, complete, finality and -truth-. It might corresponding with the explanation of nine red squares being unrepressed memories of James. He successfully reached the truth and they're all flooding back to him, or forshadowing the truth he's about to face in the next room.
Great video.
I'm glad to have found someone in the same page as me with this comment, as old as it is now. Once Max started going about squaring the circle, it made me think why wasn't Rubedo the first thought it came to mind when seeing the red squares, if they're so closely related to alchemy, should be the obvious thought, and your comment kind of tied what I was thinking together.
Cheers, mate.
I appreciate this video. The "9 red squares" are one of the symbols in SH that have stuck with me the most, but I could never make anything out of them other than showing that James is finally "putting the pieces together" of his repressed memories and impulses.
Lover Deadly that’s what I thought all those years ago
When I was researching stories and myths about the underworld (also called "otherworld" in many mythologies) it really stood out to me that Silent Hill really captures that feeling of an underworld myth: specifically, how they were usually focused on an average person being thrust into the world of the dead/darkness, and having to overcome fear and find the crucial thing that they were looking for. In the end they are able to leave the otherworld, learning many things about themselves and growing as a person (much like every SH's "good" endings) but still, in the back of their mind, knowing that they experienced something shocking and sometimes horrific and had to confront their inner fears. Of course, Silent Hill is very psychologically-oriented; a lot of those folktales were more like Silent Hill 1, where a loved one is lost in the otherworld and the protagonist has to save them.
I’m gonna start saying squaring the circle so my friends think I’m smart
darkstar66125 actual mathematicians would think you’re stupid or crazy...
Silent Hill scared the hell out of me.
This is why i think Hideo Kojima is perfect for Silent Hill. He can nail that atmosphere. Just play Metal Gear Solid 2. That last codec call was the stuff of nightmares and that was pure Dialogue exchange only!
Yes I agree with you.
Of course the last codec call was scary now that you're much older & realize its symbolic meaning behind it.
I need scissors... 61!
I prefer Team Silent
@@ismaill-0819 yeah, me too
Death Stranding's the closest we'll get to Silent Hills.
Daaaaaaaaamn... that's amazing.
The save spot in game= the main character's literal memory progress in game.
When you hit x on the red square, what's happening to James in game is: he's stopping to catch his breath and regaining a piece of his memory while he stares blankly at one spot in the area. To Laura, Angela, or Eddie, James is just zoning TF out, with a look of confused concentration on his face, without moving his body or eyes.
Question is, does Maria also zone TF out when James saves, aka: regains his repressed memories?
I mean, she definitely would in "Born From A Wish," but when they're together...? Hmm...
No wonder the background of the save menu is James looking dead-eyed and in deep thought, completely covered in red light!
What's absolutely insane is I just looked up the ps2 version of both the save screen on the main game versus the sub-scenario of Born From A Wish. The save screen on the main game showing James is completely monochromatically red. There aren't any subtle shades of any other color but red on James' face.
Now, on the "Born From A Wish" save screen background, Maria isn't completely monochromatic. You can see subtle shades of the blonde in her hair and the pink cheetah print choker. Not just a light red, but definitely pink. James' save screen looks like a screenshot out of a virtual boy and Maria's looks more like you're viewing her through a pair of rose colored glasses (I wonder if that's something.) It just makes me think that since Maria isn't the real person's psyche we're exploring, since she comes from James' subconscious, she's more like a pale imitation of the true mind being explored. Which would make sense as to why she's not fully monochromatically red, only bathed in red.
You're right, there may be something to all this and because of the related conformations of one of team silent's members, it's really making think maybe even the red has something bigger in symbolism. The game does refer to pyramid head as the red pyramid in a note, yet another extension of James' mind and his memories come to life...
I could also be overthinking it with the background colors.
I've legitimately walked around all of Silent Hill in SH2, reading every building's sign as best I could, looking for any hidden meaning or symbolism. I found a few interesting ones but generally speaking, I couldn't really draw many conclusions. But damn do I love "Room 237"ing the hell out of SH2. It's also very inspiring to hear an original Team Silent member confirming theories or at least leads that can develop into theories.
Great comment, I do rememeber the phrase "The Fear of the Blood Tends to Create Fear for The Flesh", in the intro of SH 1, and honestly i never understood what it really meant...
If you think about it both (blood and flesh) are red, but one is interior, and the other is exterior.
So maybe fearing blood (which would be also fearing the red) is not internalizing and fearing the inner demons (which would be not saving, not progressing in the 'hero's journey") and that, is translated to the town (the flesh, the exterior) that takes those inner demons that you have to internalize in order to confront.
How many hours you have in Silent Hill 2?
Please keep doing Silent Hill videos. This is some of the best analysis of video game mythology out there.
The poetry
That comes from the squaring off between
And the circling is worth it
Finding beauty in the dissonance
SHEEEEEEEEEEEEET Max you did it again, you blew my mind again!!!!! This game references and its understandings is endless. Thanks for keep the silent hill topic going.
You got a thumbs up from me just 2 min into the video when you revealed there were red squares on the mouths on the nurses. I always thought it was just blood leaking from their mouths. How the hell have I been playing these games since they were first released(2001, 2003) and I’m still findinf stuff. The last hidden secret that blew my brain was the hidden writtings on Pyramid Head’s garbs which I believe is mary’s letter(found that out 10 years ago and thought that was the last secret lol).
There was also a painting in SH3 in the art museum that had a painting of what looked like one of the red squares and it was titled “repressor of memories”.
Your silent hill analysis videos are always the best man, even though the games are many years old there's still mysteries to uncover and new points of view to look at the games.
Love your videos, particularly ones on Silent Hill, which actually inspired me to produce an essay for my friend's blog based on the series. Great job!
heyo man, i’ve been eating up ur silent hill content!! it’s all really well put together, ty for making good vids!! :) ur giving my fav games RESPECT
I LOVE your channel man! your videos actually inspired me to order some of Jung's books.
I do rememeber the phrase "The Fear of the Blood Tends to Create Fear for The Flesh", in the intro of SH 1, and honestly i never understood what it really meant...
If you think about it both (blood and flesh) are red, but one is interior, and the other is exterior.
So maybe fearing blood (which would be also fearing the red) is not internalizing and fearing the inner demons (which would be not saving, not progressing in the 'hero's journey") and that, is translated to the town (the flesh, the exterior) that takes those inner demons that you have to internalize in order to confront.
Fear of blood tends to create fear for the flesh. It means seeing others bleed causes fear for the frailty of your own body. The suffering of others causes suffering for the self. Memento mori.
I made a t-shirt with the red squares. It says, "Experiencing deja vu? Problem solved." Cause it's a place to save so you don't have to keep doing the same stuff over again.
"The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek." Joseph Campbell
Gotta love how much depth went into these games to have us still talking about them 20yrs later. This series deserves to be revived and given the proper care to make it great again. No other horror game comes close
So I just replayed Silent Hill 1 and 3 for the story and SH1 is FUUUULL of alchemy references, from the first puzzle int he school onwards.
Oh, that makes the cover art for Silent Hill 2's Japanese edition a lot more interesting than I thought.
Right when I thought I had seen it all regarding the OG Silent Hill games. Outstanding video and great work! I subbed =)
I don't think I've ever seen a more clear and thorough analysis of Silent Hill.
Thanks so much!
This is amazing dedication. Good job Max!
this is my favorite silent hill analysis video, thanks so much for putting this together! so much goes into game dev, even at such a subtle level. i love silent hill. peace out
I have no words. Thank you so much for creating access to this fascinating insight.
The sign for mouth in Kanji is a square 口.
Probably just his ideas finally coming together and talking to him so he can come to terms.
Over the mouths, well it means mouth. Maybe 9 is important somehow.
These videos on Silent Hill that you do are analyzed beautifully. An awesome exposition.
1:30 My favorite series just got seriously better w/the mention of Alchemy! I'm a Newton fan, a Philosophy, Physics & Psychology fan, but now most of all... a *Max* fan.
You have the kind of consistent quality that makes me just hit the like when I show up.
Thanks for all the fun
i found your channel via your previous silent hill videos! and subscribed immidiatley!
YES! Thanks so much, Jackstone112!
Dude your videos are amazing man, silent hill is my absolute favorite series in all of fiction and your videos are top notch and got me thinking in ways I didnt before. These videos show why team silent and the silent hill series in general (first 4 games) are so amazing. Everytime you replay it look deeper you find somthing new. Well done sir I look forward to more of your videos👍
Great analysis!! I feel like it could have multiple meanings for sure. This has probably been thought of before, but the theory I came up with is that the red squares are windows to which the player connects with James. At the save screen we see James’s face staring at us from
behind the square, and we, the player are staring back through our own square (the TV). We are controlling him in his journey at all times, and he comes face-to-face with us while staring at the squares while we record his progress, hence the feeling of somebody groping in his mind. This idea actually struck me first while playing SH3 a few days ago. I realized it felt like I was staring at Heather from behind the symbol. 😁
I fell asleep to your silent hill playlist. I love how relaxing and informative these vids are, shit blew my mind with what I learned, so much shit I had no idea about
Again, another fantastic job Max!!! Keep it up!
outstanding video and comment section. your silent hill analysis are one of the best original things i ever found on youtube. i feel so much admiration towards not only the creators of silent hill but you as well now!
I wish I had found this channel long ago. Excellent. Subscribed👍🏻
Thank you for such fascinating insights 👏🏾 love your voice & delivery as well ❤
Finally someone talking about Silent Hill, subscribed, can't wait for new SH videos
You the MAN, man. :)
Fantastic video max!
I love Silent Hill lore/theories like I love playing Skyrim. Every time I go in I come back out with something new. Great video!
It is such a pleasure to listen to your conclusions! Thank you
WHAT?!?! is what kept repeating in my head of i listened to your conclusion. Very good.
Awesome video as always. I never even put a second of thought into this.
I always imagined the red squares were hinting at note paper, like Post-its, which are stuck up on walls or wherever to remind you of something important, and also in reference to Mary's letter. Each post-it like a memory, a fragment of a bigger picture. When we see the squares at the end, this symbolises James' realisation, his coming to terms, and that he now sees the bigger picture. James sees the red nine and knows that beyond it lies his redemption, but it is also a point from which he will not return.
Dude i was just thinking about silent hill and ur videos and all of a sudden i get a notification of you analyzing silent hill :) amazing.
It's a fantastic coincidence that hundreds of people started coming to my channel the past couple of days because of my Pyramid Head video, and I was already working on this new video! Hopefully people are pleased. :)
dude you are brill. been binging your SH videos and I am blown away. gr8 work my guy.
Thanks brother! I have a new Silent Hill video coming out tomorrow at 4:00PM EST to satiate your addiction.
I watched it this morning! Loved it. So happy I found your channel,@@maxderrat (I am a sister tho :P)
i think you nailed it! would like to see your analysis of silent hill 4!
There's an instance of 9 red squares in the original game; the nine monitors in the shopping center when Harry enters. When they cycle through the alchemical sigils, there's one screen that's red - the sigil of Och, the Solar spirit - and in the initial cycle all 9 (well, 10) screens are red briefly.
Very interesting bro', keep'em coming!!! I love academic analysis!!!
wow this was so good, everytime you got these deep interesting vids
Watched through all the SH stuff in one night. It's fantastic, would love to see more!
Subbed, I need to find more channels the dive deep into the hidden meanings behind games and stories
Also the square screen of the TV works as a mirror, it fits with the idea of comfronting the shadow because it is a terrible reflection of himself.
I'm glad I've discovered your channel ik there's alot psychology and symbolic references in silent Hill thanks for your knowledge and research !!! I played Silent Hill for PS1 when I was 11 this brings back so much memories
I would've never even thought about this, fucking amazing. The attention and care about details in primary SH trilogy is truly unmatched. Thank you for this
I've quite recently discovered your channel, and although I have a thing for untapped, undiscovered channels with mastercrafted content, I really do wish you get tons more traffic and audience, you really deserve it my friend.
There are 8 squares that are part of a puzzle in the Alchemilla hospital in Silent Hill 1. Four of them are already put into place while the other 4 are found in various places in the hospital and then you can unlock a certain door after you put the 4 squares into their correct place
“Covering the mouth is symbolic for repressing something seeking expression....” (11:26)
This sounds eerily relevant to exactly what is happening today as we speak. 😷
This comment right here, just blew my mind and made me question hidden function of wearing masks in regard to control / suppression of the masses, silencing them but not exactly killing them. Not choosing to wear a mask equates to being a non-conformist or freethinker, perhaps? I'm probably just reading in to it, but your comment really got me thinking. Thanks
Good stuff as always 💪
I really do love that the implication is that the first game was a parable for the journey to find Harry's Philosopher's Stone. Going through trial after trial, mimicing the steps of its creation, until in the best ending he recieves a newly created version of his adopted daughter. Someone that'll take Harry's memories and lessons with her as she grows up and passes them on to her children.
Ahhh that's a really cool interpretation!
Holy shit! I thought your voice sounded familiar! I havent watched the Honey Badger Brigade in a long time, since around the time you stopped being on there!
Was pleasantly surprised to run into all this awesome Silent Hill stuff only to find out it was you!
A video I've been waiting for 👌
That is INCREDIBLE. Wow. And I thought I knew the details of SH. Wow. You are aamzazing.
Bravo! I loved Silent Hill as a teen and played them as I was getting into Crowley and FreeMASONry books. Glad theres a youtuber like you expounding things I correlated.
omg i love your videos so much
And the first red square is in a circle, the well.
The square TV screen statement is just… wow. They worked so hard on this game and gave it details many would overlook. Amazing.
Wow. Ive never noticed the pillow and the red square relation. You are awesome
Not sure if anyone has pointed this out yet, but the first square appears inside a circle, the well, adrift in it, while the last nine appear evenly ordered and centered inside a square wall. Just another thing that reinforces your conclusion, I think. It makes sense that the whole game is a squaring of the circle. It would be interesting to see if circular elements get gradually less frequent throughout the game and squares seen more frequently.
Woah..keep it all going dude luuuuve it
What’s that weird circle ⭕️ and the creepy room
Silent hill the room
Super interesting. The term 'squaring the circle' reminds me of a religious philosophy (I can't remember who came up with it) which illustrates some very interesting, albeit problem unrelated, points.
In this particular philosophical example, you are asked to compare a square and a circle, noting their similarities and differences. Then another square is rotated 45 degrees, and placed on top of the other square. Ostensibly, the shapes have become more similar in shape and even function. This can continue until you have a saw blade, and eventually even an infinitely sided shape, indistinguishable from our eyes to the circle beside it. But something very significant has happened; the square has added more sides, as opposed to the circle's one. As you superficially appeared more and more like the circle, you have grown further and further away from its' transcendent simplicity.
The philosopher urges us not to add sides to the square, but to instead round out the edges. In his meaning, don't add human effort in an attempt to grow, submit to God, His transcendence, and His principles. Even on a secular level, I have used this metaphor to encourage friends who add a lot of excess stuff in their lives to just enjoy what they have, and who they are. No need for all that extra pressure and external stuff.
While I doubt that it is connected, thought it was a cool enough metaphor to share. But who knows? Wouldn't be the first time Japanese developers took Western religious concepts into their work.
I always thought the red squares were censors meant to cover up something. And the super saturated redness compared to the environment meant that it is really out of place, instantly piercing my eyes, causing literal physical pain.
When confronting something that somewhat reminds me of a traumatic event, my body involuntarily reflexes and I start not behaving normally. Even though I know there are scary, bad things in the world, personal stuff that I have tucked away in my head surpasses my knowledge & facts. In that point I don’t care that I know bad things exist, I just really want it to go away and stop hurting me.
The mind is a very weird place.
This is deep, I really enjoyed it.
Finally, something analyzing the best shape. Thanks, Max.
Signed, Samuel the Square-head.
This guy knows what's up. :)
yep he do
This is Why i Subscribed To This Guy He’s Content Theories is Mind Blowing And Learning How Silent Hill Really is
And yet again, years later Silent Hill nostalgia pulls me in and haunts me.
The explanation of the bubble head nurses it gave a whole new level of horror, this is the one the smartest and subtle moves to embody terror
Reminds me of the save rooms in Killer7...not every game has to do it or make them quite so significant, but I enjoy it when things like save points have some kind of theme to them - something I'm sad to see slowly fading away as most just autosave these days.
Amazing video, as always, gives a new perspective and meaning to the original masterpieces I couldn't get by myself.
As an advice from my field, careful with the SH1 footage. It has lifted black levels, which in that game is due to high default brightness levels, at least when emulated with ePSXe.
Have you ever heard of Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series? I think you could’ve said A LOT about stuff there
Great video!
wow!
I feeled it when played the game, but never had such amazing psychological background thoughts.
Now this can return me into childhood..of that town..oh,such a good memories..
Great video
All these squares make a circle
All these squares make a circle
All these squares make a circle
-Mr. Popo